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German company CureVac has received a rather strange offer from the current White House.
On March 3, CureVac's CEO was invited to the White House, for a meeting with President Trump, Vice Pence and several members of the Coronavirus Task Force. Asked for when a vaccine could be ready, he estimated that a potential candidate could be ready within a few months. Apparently, that triggered the members of the meeting so much, that they've now offered to buy the company, at whatever price.
One condition though: production would be exclusively for the United States.
The move is not exactly one to gain popularity, and follows on the heels of the President's worrying statement that "a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe".
(Score: 4, Insightful) by black6host on Sunday March 15 2020, @10:31PM (27 children)
I'm skeptical, simply because the source is not identified. That being said it's said commentary that I would not be shocked to find out that some scumbag, somewhere said something like this. My question is: who would benefit if the US had "exclusive" access? Nowadays if the world goes down the US goes with it. We already see that with respect to how this whole mess has affected markets globally and what's happened here.
As always, follow the money and you'll get your answers...
(Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Sunday March 15 2020, @10:56PM (14 children)
Depending on whether Imaginary Property laws would be respected in this sort of emergency, something between "the US" and "nobody".
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 3, Touché) by barbara hudson on Sunday March 15 2020, @11:58PM (13 children)
It's entirely believable. It would restore the US to the only industrial superpower again. But it would also be a crime against humanity:
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 4, Informative) by RandomFactor on Monday March 16 2020, @12:59AM (8 children)
Trump would probably work to make sure the USA was not frozen out or gouged into oblivion for a viable treatment. He would also be interested in funding production in the US. Both of these are right in line with his goals and philosophy and a straightforward response to the global medicine shortages already in the pipeline due to production disruptions in China.
From the very same article, and conveniently left out of the summary:
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @01:11AM
I see we have a Trumper who still hasn't realized that Trump is a corrupt conman who csres NOTHING for his base aside from the power they give him. He does the right thing from time to time because he isn't 100% a monster when it does not conflict with his personal prosperity. But expecting him to handle this crisis in any way that isn't fubar is wishful.
Not to give much credence to this story, sounds a bit overblown for media hype more than truth. But there I go with the wishful thinking ;)
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Monday March 16 2020, @02:04AM
Bullshit. Exclusivity is always about controlling who profits, especially when the question is posed with the offer for a full buyout of the company.
Standard grifter bullshit. Remember, this is from a guy who openly states bribes to companies in other countries should be entirely legal. This a group of men getting together trying to figure out how to get their hands on the Congressionally mandated payment for the cure, by owning the company that will provide the US the desperately needed product.
That's what the exclusive is about. Maximum product volume so every American that gets sick makes money for the very few. Government rent seeking at its finest.
Considering the people in the room, the complete lack of accountability, checks and balanced experiencing a critical abject failure, and no reason to believe consequences would be on the horizon, you will see Trump, his spawn, and Mar-A-Lago premium members actually owning this company.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 5, Informative) by SpockLogic on Monday March 16 2020, @02:28AM (1 child)
Trump would benefit. He would claim he, and only he, was bigly responsible for single handly saving the entire population of the US. He would claim it gave him an unassailable mandate to be reelected. He needs reelection to the presidency to avoid prosecution, conviction and jailing for the crimes he has committed.
Overreacting is one thing, sticking your head up your ass hoping the problem goes away is another - edIII
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @09:34AM
Who needs elections when we can have a trumpator for life?
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Tuesday March 17 2020, @10:44PM
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Tuesday March 17 2020, @11:04PM (2 children)
Of course he wants to reserve that right to gouge people into oblivion for the US for-profit health-care providers.
The US official denied it, the German government confirmed it and took action by providing $40 million Euros to the company to further research and give them a say in it. Both the German government and the company have rejected Trump's offer, saying they want the company to stay in Germany.
Also, under eminent domain, the Germans can prevent any sale outside the country. The US has interfered in foreign companies such as Huawei, the Germans will not hesitate to do the same.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Thursday March 19 2020, @12:11AM (1 child)
https://twitter.com/CureVacAG/status/1239535638359281664 [twitter.com]
Untruths are told in all denominations of politics. By politicians, by the press, and by partisans. People automatically accept things that reinforce their world view uncritically.
Best to guard against that.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Thursday March 19 2020, @03:26PM
Just like there was no formal offer made to Denmark to buy Greenland - but Trump did that too, and was royally pissed off at being rebuffed. He thinks everything is for sale, since he himself is. No whore like an old whore.
Keep defending your idiot-n-chief. On the weekend COVID-19 was still not a problem, numbers dropping, going away soon, the stock market is doing great, etc. By Tuesday the story was 180 degrees different, and he was claiming that he always knew that it was going to be very very serious, etc.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 16 2020, @01:48AM (2 children)
I think you're overestimating the potential effects here, by a wiiiiiide margin.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Tuesday March 17 2020, @10:48PM (1 child)
And COVID19 doesn't cause symptoms until more than 5 days after a person can transmit it to others, unlike the flu, chicken pox, measles, etc. Good luck stopping it permanently. It will become enemic, like the flu.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 17 2020, @11:01PM
To quote BSG: all of this has happened before, and will happen again.
We're in more existential threat from the rise of AI than we are in any kind of position to differentially impact the world economic balance of power by possession of a few vaccine technologies a few years before the other countries manage to replicate them.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by DannyB on Monday March 16 2020, @02:22PM
Maybe the other 96 % of the world's population might decide that they should all get it first before the United States gets it.
(before someone says [citation needed], google for "world population", google for "US population" use this sophisticated mathematical technique called division.)
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 15 2020, @11:42PM (11 children)
It's almost like somebody concocted a story that would make the current administration look bad.
Of course nobody does that better than the members of the current administration.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @02:00AM
or that at some level it realizes it has really fd things up so far and is desperate to secure a "win"...
on one hand, yes securing a vaccine before November may buy it a few votes...
can't ever accept responsibility for bad, but full on credit for "winning".
(Score: 3, Touché) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @03:45AM (9 children)
How to con a conman:
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Monday March 16 2020, @09:16AM (8 children)
FTFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @09:22AM (7 children)
I don't think it'll matter that much. Remember that he wants to announce and take credit for a win, whether it's actually a win or not doesn't matter. So you can get away with almost anything except making him look bad.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 16 2020, @09:29AM (6 children)
Can't take credit for a win when the stuff you bought doesn't do a thing at best, does additional harm at worst and this becomes public knowledge in a month or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @11:07AM (5 children)
You've just described his deal with North Korea, and that doesn't seem to have hurt him at all.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 16 2020, @11:16AM (4 children)
Unlike the case of a bogus covid-19 vaccine, the deal with North Korea didn't become public knowledge as being ineffective/harmful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @11:25AM (3 children)
DPRK increased its weapons production after the deal was made, and that was known and internationally publicised within a week.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:19AM
There's a difference between increasing production of weapons and increasing the probability of using said weapons. The real question about Trump's deal was "did it make the use of weapons more or less likely?"
In any case, I am less troubled by NK having nukes than I am by Israel having them. NK apparently just wants to be left alone, while Israel is openly acquiring land by conquest and forcible displacement of the natives. They are creating and oppressing an enemy who is significantly out-breeding them. At some point they will begin to lose to sheer numbers, and I fully expect them to use nuclear weapons at that point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @09:42AM (1 child)
Sure, but Joe & Jane Average American don't care about NK nukes. They do care a lot about COVID-19 - or at least very soon will care a lot. Claiming a win based on a botched vaccine would be a symbolical suicide & death penalty in one. But then again, some people in this administration are not afraid of that and seem to think they can blabber themselves out of anything. Mr. Trump just had the guts to give himself a 10 out of 10 on his handling of Corona, so...
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday March 17 2020, @09:57AM
In particular if it's a win then it's Trump's win, if it's a loss then it's Pence's loss and out he goes, to be replaced by someone more loyal.